Left Behind
by Wildstar-fever
Summary: When the four Clans leave the forest they had lived in for countless generations, Frostfur, Speckletail, Shadepelt and Loudbelly choose to remain in the old forest. But Twolegs still threaten to consume their last refuges. The four must work together to survive a harsh leafbare without their Clans.
1. Prologue

_A/N - People seemed to like this idea, so I went ahead and started writing! This first chapter is a rewrite of the Clans' departure, when they leave the four elders behind. I wanted to emphasize the family ties that these cats still had to their Clans. It's on the short side; later chapters are longer.  
Pairing notes for this fic: Frostfur/Speckletail, Frostfur/OC, Ravenpaw/Barley_

* * *

On weary paws, the white queen pulled herself away from the dead medicine cat and into the main clearing of the RiverClan camp. It was hardly home for her, especially filled with the stench of death as it was now. But it was more sheltered than anywhere else she could think of, and there was no sign of the Twolegs or their monsters here yet.

A bright ginger tom met her as she stepped out into the larger clearing. "We'll miss you dearly, Frostfur." He mewed solemnly. There was regret and uncertainty in his emerald eyes. "You and Speckletail both. You have served your Clan well over many seasons."

Frostfur could hardly meet his eyes, but she touched her nose gently to his fiery pelt in a last farewell. "I know the great Firestar will take care of them for many seasons more." She purred as she stepped back and took a deep breath. "If you can spare a few moments… Could I say goodbye to my kin before you go?"

"Of course, take all the time you need." Firestar nodded respectfully and padded away to speak with his mate, Sandstorm. Frostfur followed him more slowly, searching out a couple cats in particular. Soon enough several cats bounded over to her and pressed themselves all around her before she could even speak a word.

"Are you sure you can't come with us, mother?" Her oldest son, Brackenfur murmured into her ear.

"Yes, you're still strong enough to travel! You can't stay here…" Brightheart begged, her one good eye dull with grief.

Frostfur licked the scarred side of Brightheart's face gently. "Don't look like that dear, I'm not dead yet!" she chuckled. "Your old queen's still got a few seasons left in these old bones. Even so, they're too brittle now to make such a long journey."

Cinderpelt, Brackenfur's littermate and the ThunderClan medicine cat, shook her head sadly. "I kept telling you, you could have kept up being a warrior for a few more seasons… You're not nearly as old as Speckletail yet."

The white queen glanced sideways at where Speckletail was saying goodbye to her last living kin, Goldenflower. Worry twisted in her belly. "That's exactly why I have to stay," she mewed softly, willing Cinderpelt to understand. "Speckletail wouldn't last the winter alone. I have to stay and look after her."

The medicine cat closed her eyes, but nodded in acceptance.

"We'll always miss you, mother…" Thornclaw, Brightheart's littermate, nuzzled deep into her snowy fur for comfort. It was as if he was soaking in the last scents of his kithood, for the last time. "ThunderClan won't be the same without you."

"Oh stop that!" Frostfur snapped, trying to hide how her voice wavered. "You're all young, and you've got each other!" Her gaze landed on Brightheart again. "You've got your own kit to look out for, so don't spend too much time worrying about me!"

Brightheart nodded sadly, glancing over at where her mate, Cloudtail, waited with Whitepaw. Though Frostfur had never been fond of Cloudtail, she could easily see the depths of love he had for Brightheart and Whitepaw. Frostfur had been proud to see her granddaughter grow into the fine young apprentice she was now.

"Remember goldenrod and nettle leaves to help with your aches and swelling, and poppy seeds for the pain," Cinderpelt began listing off herbs, kneading the ground anxiously with her paws. "And burdock root for any cuts and infection. Oh, and if that cough comes back chew some tansy. If it gets worse you'll have to go into Twolegplace and find catmint…"

Frostfur flicked her tail over Cinderpelt's muzzle to silence her. "I'll be fine, dear. I'll look after myself and Speckletail, while you look after my Clan like you always have."

Cinderpelt pressed her muzzle against her mother's one last time, and her other kits crowded in around as well. For one perfect moment, their scents all mingled into one again, just as they had been seasons ago in the nursery.

The spell was broken when another cat called her name. Looking around, she spotted the dusky brown fur of Dustpelt. Breaking away from her children she padded over and looked at him quizzically.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," he said awkwardly. "I know we were from different litters, but… I always looked up to you and Brindleface."

Frostfur's heart twisted in grief and she closed her eyes, picturing her sister's beautiful dappled fur once again. "Brindleface is still watching over both of us," she said shakily. "She and StarClan will be with you on your journey.

Dustpelt nodded curtly, though his eyes were uncharacteristically soft. He gave her ears one swift lick, then bounded back over to where Ferncloud sat with their kit, Birchkit.

"Is everyone ready?" Leopardstar's call rang out loud and clear from the center of the clearing. Her Clan was mingling still around Shadepelt and Loudbelly, the two elders who would also be staying behind.

"We haven't hunted today!" One of their queens complained, bundling her kit in closer.

Leopardstar shook her head briskly. "We can hunt on the way." At her command, the RiverClan cats started to gather with ThunderClan. Speckletail waved a last goodbye to Goldenflower and came to sit next to Frostfur, watching their Clan prepare to leave the forest forever.

She looked around as Leafpaw, Cinderpelt's apprentice, brushed passed them and stopped to gaze at them one last time. "Goodbye, Speckletail. Goodbye Frostfur," She said softly, looking even sadder than Frostfur's own kits. "Good hunting."

"Good hunting," Frostfur replied with a small dip of her head.

The cats filed out of the clearing slowly, a few casting last glances back around the home they would never see again. Brackenfur and Cinderpelt hesitated again as they brought up the rear, staring back at their mother. Then Cinderpelt nudged her brother and limped out after the Clan, with Brackenfur just behind her. As his golden tail disappeared through the reeds, the remaining elders were left in deafening silence.

Without a word, Shadepelt and Loudbelly turned and padded back into the medicine cat's clearing to sit vigil for Mudfur. They left Frostfur and Speckletail sitting and staring at the place where their Clan had left them forever.

Finally Speckletail heaved a sigh and pulled herself onto her paws. "Come on then, we can't mope around forever," she grunted, stretching her stiff limbs. "We should hunt before the sun goes down, so we can sit vigil with the RiverClan cats tonight."

Frostfur blinked at her slowly, steeling herself against the frigid cold that threatened to consume her if she stayed still any longer.

"Right," she said firmly. "Let's get to work."


	2. Chapter One

The elders padded wearily over frozen earth to the river. Their paws were thick with mud from burying the RiverClan medicine cat, setting him to lie beneath the reeds by the river where his Clanmates had been buried for generations. For all they knew, he could be the last RiverClan cat ever buried there.

When they reached the water Frostfur dipped her paws in, gritting her teeth as the freezing water swirled around her. The other cats did the same, though she noticed the RiverClan cats were watching the water sharply. Though the Twolegs had caused the river to grow far shallower, perhaps the two were hoping to find an easy fish to catch for breakfast.

Almost on cue, Shadepelt's paw shot out and a silver fish arched through the air. Loudbelly raised up on his back paws to snatch it out of the air, dropping back to all fours with it held firmly in his jaws. Frostfur couldn't help but be impressed by how cleanly the two had worked together to catch the fish. Though on further inspection, it was much smaller than the fish she had seen RiverClan catch before. It would hardly be a few bites for the two cats to share.

Loudbelly padded over to Frostfur and Speckletail, dropping the fish at their feet. "There you go," he grunted, and started back towards Shadepelt.

"You caught it, it's yours," Frostfur nudged the fish back towards him. Even now, her pride wouldn't let her accept handouts from another Clan. "We can't take RiverClan's prey."

Shadepelt fixed her with an exasperated look. "RiverClan is _gone_." She pointed out. "And so is ThunderClan. We can't let Clan boundaries keep us apart now."

"She's right, Frostfur," Speckletail murmured. "We'll never survive this leaf-bare if we don't work together."

"Besides," Loudbelly went on. "We haven't gone hungry quite as long as you. You can have that to get your strength up for hunting today. Shadepelt and I will see what else we can catch as well."

Frostfur wrinkled her nose, but she knew they were right. Her mouth was already watering from the scent of the fish, but she turned and nodded to Speckletail, offering the first bite. She blinked graciously and leaned down to eat.

The fish wasn't terribly filling, but it did take the edge of Frostfur's hunger. She swiped her tongue around her muzzle to get the last morsels, looking up to see that Shadepelt and Loudbelly had moved further upriver. They were poised again over the water, readying to strike out at their prey.

"We should do some hunting as well, while the sun is strong," Frostfur suggested, scenting the air carefully. The Twoleg monsters hadn't come this far yet, but their destruction had still scared off much of the prey across all the territories. She couldn't smell anything this close to the river.

She led the way deeper into the territory, feeling somewhat nervous in the unfamiliar area. This was RiverClan's land, and she didn't know the best spots to find land prey yet. She longed for the taste of squirrel or mouse, or even rabbit. But she knew better than to catch any rabbit they spotted, now that the Twolegs had poisoned them. There was no way she would risk it, not after how Dappletail had died…

It was slow going, but by the time the sun was high in the sky Frostfur and Speckletail had managed to catch a vole and an old squirrel between them. When they returned to camp they saw Shadepelt and Loudbelly already there, gulping down two more small fish that they had managed.

Shadepelt looked up when the former-ThunderClan cats joined them. "It's much easier to find enough food for just the four of us." She mewed. "Though the trade-off is we don't have apprentices to bring it to us."

Frostfur settled down across from her with her squirrel while Speckletail dug into the vole. "My hunting skills haven't abandoned me yet," she said curtly. Despite what Speckletail had said earlier, it took time to earn Frostfur's trust.

Loudbelly had finished his fish and was staring out at the treetops, towards what had once been ThunderClan's territory. "What will we do when the Twolegs get here?" he growled in a low voice, sinking his blunt claws into the ground.

Frostfur and Speckletail exchanged a glance. They had seen firsthand what the monsters had done to their territory. RiverClan's territory was the last safe refuge against the terrible destruction.

"They wouldn't cross the river, would they?" Shadepelt said hopefully.

Loudbelly shook his head. "Soon there won't _be_ a river. Then they can plow right through."

He was right, Frostfur realized as her heart sank. The river had been lower today than she'd ever seen it. Though the RiverClan cats had managed to catch a few measly fish still, soon it would dry up completely. That is, if it didn't freeze first.

"Where can we go if the Twolegs come here?" Speckletail asked, her eyes wide with dismay. "We'll have nowhere left in the forest!"

Frostfur moved closer so she could press her fur up against the older queen's. "We'll figure something out if they get here," she purred soothingly. Her warmth seemed to comfort Speckletail, and she twisted her head to groom her snowy white fur.

In the moons since Frostfur had joined the elders, she had grown very close to Speckletail. Of course she had considered Dappletail and Longtail close friends as well, but there was a special bond between her and Speckletail. It was hard to say why exactly; maybe it was because of the way Speckletail had cared for Brightheart after the dogs had injured her. Maybe it was because the two were so alike in personality, both proud and fiercely protective of their kin.

Or maybe it was something more.

Whatever the reason, Frostfur found Speckletail's presence just as comforting. They shared tongues like that while the sun drifted slowly across the sky, soaking in what little warmth it had to give for the day. Though she started to get hungry again by sundown, Frostfur didn't feel she had the energy to go out hunting again. Especially not as the day was getting still colder. She was used to going hungry anyway.

"We should sleep in the nursery," Shadepelt suggested as the day began to grow darker. "It's the most insulated den, and… Well, there's no kits in there anymore."

Frostfur nodded and followed her into the tangle of reeds that made up the nursery. Large feathers were woven into the roof to keep it sheltered, and the walls were thick and well kept. Shiny stones and shells glittered at the edge of the nests, and the stream that surrounded the island camp bubbled happily just outside the shelter of the walls. The soft scents of milk and young kittens still lingered, though the kits and queens were gone.

Despite the sound of the river nearby, Frostfur did feel at home in a nursery. Though she had always considered herself a formidable warrior, she was most proud of the kits she had mothered. Being back in a nursery now… It made her feel like a young first-time queen again.

As she curled up in a nest of feathers and moss next to Speckletail, her thoughts were full of the kits she had raised into great young warriors. Even Cinderpelt, who she was so afraid to lose after her accident, had become a wise and talented medicine cat.

 _The Clan will be safe with my kits watching over them_. She thought as she drifted off to sleep. _I'm sure of it._

* * *

The next morning was gray and overcast, and a chilly wind blew through the reeds of RiverClan's camp. Once again the elders had split into two groups to hunt, but this time Speckletail went with Loudbelly while Frostfur and Shadepelt headed towards ThunderClan territory. Though Frostfur was anxious about letting Speckletail out of her sight, she had to concede that they'd hunt better each with a RiverClan cat to show them where to go.

Shadepelt padded briskly through the fronds of bracken and reeds, as though she was falling back into her old warrior's habits. She led the way towards the river that bordered ThunderClan territory, though she wouldn't say why they were going that way.

As they drew closer, Frostfur started to pick up the stench of the Twoleg monsters that raged through ThunderClan's territory. The distant rumbling told her they had not yet reached the river, but it was only a matter of time.

"Won't most of the prey have been scared off this way?" the white queen asked her guide, watching the darker she-cat suspiciously. "The monsters are much closer this way."

Shadepelt flicked her tail apprehensively. "I thought it might help calm you down if we hunted near ThunderClan's territory," she admitted after a moment's silence.

"I am perfectly calm!" Frostfur protested, but Shadepelt silenced her with a look.

She had dropped into a hunter's crouch, and scenting the air Frostfur pinpointed the mouse up ahead. It was a small thing, hardly a mouthful, but better than nothing. She sat still as a stone while Shadepelt prowled forward, finally pouncing and dispatching of the mouse with a skillful bite.

"There you are," Shadepelt dropped the mouse at Frostfur's paws, looking pleased with herself. "You can have that to keep your strength up. We've got a lot more hunting to do."

Frostfur wanted to protest, but her stomach growled at just that moment and she looked away in embarrassment. Since they weren't hunting for their Clans, it should be okay to eat before heading back… In the end hunger won out over her pride and she swiftly gulped down the mouse in a few quick bites.

While she ate Shadepelt had padded ahead and was scenting the air diligently. Frostfur had to admit she was impressed with the younger elder's drive. _I wonder why she chose to be an elder so early_ , Frostfur thought to herself. _She looks to be around the same age as Brackenfur and Cinderpelt._

"Let's keep moving," the dark she-cat called from up ahead. "There might be a few voles down by the river."

Frostfur heaved herself to her paws and hurried after the RiverClan cat. She thanked StarClan that her strength had not failed her yet, even in this unforgiving cold.

As the two slipped out of the reeds onto the riverbank, they were met with a shining white stillness. Frostfur realized to her dismay that what was left of the river had frozen overnight. It had shrunk so much in the last moon that it was hardly more than a frozen stream cutting through the wide track it had once filled.

"Fox-dung!" Shadepelt swore angrily. "There won't be any prey around here now…"

Frostfur grunted, though she was thinking of something else. Without the river in the way, nothing stood between the Twoleg monsters and the RiverClan camp. Though Sunningrocks still sat undisturbed on the other side of the river, the roaring sound of the monsters was louder than ever here.

Shadepelt's fur brushed against hers as the dark queen turned to leave. "Come on, let's head deeper into the territory," she suggested. "We won't find anything here."

Reluctantly Frostfur turned away from the familiar view of Sunningrocks to follow Shadepelt back into RiverClan territory.

* * *

By the time the two returned to camp with their mouths laden with prey, a light snow had begun to fall. Cold dread gripped Frostfur's belly at the thought of trying to find prey in the snow, but perhaps it would delay the twoleg monsters.

Speckletail and Loudbelly were already in the camp, huddled close outside the nursery for warmth. Frostfur felt an unexpected pang of jealousy seeing them so close together, but as soon as Speckletail spotted the returning she-cats she got to her feet and padded over to touch noses with Frostfur.

"You look like you had better luck than us," the dappled queen rasped, looking over Frostfur's catch. She had managed to snag a squirrel as it ran up a tree, and another mouse not long after. Shadepelt had caught a vole scrabbling at the ice of a stream and a blackbird as well.

Frostfur dropped her catch for Speckletail to share while Shadepelt offered her vole to Loudbelly. "If you're still hungry, you can have the squirrel." She said as she settled down with her mouse.

Speckletail dipped her head to one side. "Are you sure? That mouse is hardly more than a mouthful."

"Of course," Frostfur was reluctant to admit she had eaten while they were out. Though they were no longer part of the Clans, she wasn't sure if Speckletail would be angry with her for breaking the warrior's code.

The snow grew heavier while they ate, and soon the four retreated into the nursery to keep warm. Frostfur rasped her tongue over Speckletail's ears while the older she-cat dozed off, curled comfortably against Frostfur's snowy pelt. Shadepelt and Loudbelly were sleeping as well, a little separated from the ThunderClan cats.

Outside of the nursery, the forest seemed unearthly still. The snowfall muffled the sounds of rustling reeds, and with the river frozen there was no soft mumble of rushing water. From here, Frostfur couldn't even hear the rumbling of the monsters, no matter how much she strained her ears.

 _How long can we keep living here?_ She thought, burying her nose in Speckletail's sweet-smelling fur. So far the hunting had been decent and they had a warm place to sleep, but how long could it last?


	3. Chapter Two

_A/N - Thanks so much to the kind reviewers on this story! I get very anxious looking at comments on my work, so your encouraging words give me the confidence to keep going. :)_  
 _I'm uploading another two chapters again today to catch up to what's already been written, but updates will be a bit slower after this. Don't worry, I still have a bit of a buffer. I'll try to stick to a schedule of two new chapters a week._

* * *

Frostfur strode confidently through RiverClan's territory now, almost enjoying the swishing of reeds around her. It had been three more sunrises since the Clans had abandoned the forest, searching for a new home beyond the mountains. Thankfully the snow from a few days ago had melted quickly. Despite the harsh leafbare, Frostfur felt better fed than she had been in moons. Shadepelt had been right; it was much easier to find enough food for just the four of them, when they didn't have to share with a Clan.

Scenting the air, Frostfur picked up the scent of a rabbit up ahead. Though her mouth watered at the thought of tasting rabbit, she forced herself to turn away in the other direction. Even in RiverClan territory, she wouldn't risk eating rabbit. Not after watching what the last rabbit had done to poor Dappletail.

Her paws were taking her back towards Sunningrocks, though she was sure she wouldn't find anything there. She just longed to look over at the familiar mounds of rock again. As she slunk carefully through the reeds towards the frozen river, the deafening roar of the monsters seemed closer than ever. Icy fear gripped her like a claw as Frostfur forced herself to creep forward and peer out across the river.

A strangled cry left her at the sight she found there. Sunningrocks was crawling with Twolegs, waving their paws and shouting to each other. A huge monster – larger than anything Frostfur had ever seen – was crushing the rocks with one huge claw extended from a long limb. As she watched, it scooped up one of the largest rocks and smashed it into pebbles as if it was nothing.

Frostfur stayed where she was, frozen with terror and grief while she watched the Twolegs destroy the last safe haven ThunderClan had known in their own territory. When she came to her senses she realized several Twolegs were lumbering right towards her across the frozen river. They were calling to each other and hadn't seen her yet, but Frostfur didn't stick around to see what they were up to.

Summoning up every last bit of her courage, she turned and bolted back towards the RiverClan camp. Luckily much of her strength had returned to her in the past few days of hunting, and her paws carried her quickly over the now-familiar paths back to camp.

When she burst into the camp she was relieved to find Speckletail there already, back from her hunt with Shadepelt. The tabby queen looked up in alarm when Frostfur raced over.

"What's the matter, Frostfur?" she asked, getting to her paws with her fur prickling. "You look as though you've seen a horde of badgers!"

Frostfur shook her head, trying to find the words for what she had just seen. "T-Twolegs," she stammered out finally. "At Sunningrocks… They were crushing the rocks into dust."

Speckletail's eyes went wide with terror and she looked around as if she expected the Twolegs to burst through the reed walls of the camp right then. Thankfully, the distant rumbling and the stench hadn't reached this far yet.

Shadepelt pushed past her to face Frostfur. "If they're destroying Sunningrocks, have they crossed the river yet?"

Frostfur nodded. "A few of them walked across the river, though they weren't in monsters. But it's only a matter of time."

Shadepelt closed her eyes for a long moment, as if she was grieving for the long-disputed territory by the river. When she opened them there was a clear resolve in their dark green depths.

"We'll have to think about leaving," she said grimly. "When Loudbelly comes back from hunting, we'll have to discuss where else we can go."

"We can't leave!" Speckletail protested sharply. "We're too frail to follow after the Clans. We'd die long before we catch up with them!"

"We don't have to go far," Frostfur said, suddenly having an idea. "There's the old barn at the edge of WindClan's territory, where Barley and Ravenpaw live. We could see if they have room for us there."

Shadepelt nodded in agreement. Most cats in the Clans knew of the barn where the loner Barley and the former ThunderClan tom Ravenpaw lived. The loners had helped the Clans many times on trips to and from Highstones. Frostfur doubted Ravenpaw would turn away two of his own Clan… Especially when Frostfur and Ravenpaw were related by blood; he had been from a younger litter along with Dustpelt.

The three she-cats looked around when Loudbelly strode in, carrying a squirrel and two mice by their tails. It was the best catch any of them had gotten since the Clans left, and Frostfur hoped he would share.

Shadepelt bounded over to him as he dropped the prey on their small fresh-kill pile. "Frostfur's brought terrible news. The Twolegs are destroying Sunningrocks, and it looks like they'll be crossing the river into our territory soon."

Loudbelly furrowed his brow with worry, turning his gaze to Frostfur. "Is this true?"

Frostfur nodded gravely. Next to her Speckletail shivered, and she pressed against her reassuringly. Whatever happened, where ever they went, Frostfur would make sure Speckletail was safe.

"If the Twolegs are crossing the river, soon it won't be safe even here." Loudbelly sighed, rubbing a paw over his tired eyes. "We'll have to find somewhere else to spend leaf-bare, or we won't last."

"Frostfur had a good idea," Shadepelt said, turning towards the white queen, her eyes shining. "Go ahead and tell him."

Though she didn't mention it, Frostfur appreciated the RiverClan cat letting her explain the idea herself. "I thought we could go to the Twoleg barn at the edge of WindClan's territory," When Loudbelly tilted his head to the side curiously she went on, "Two loners live there, Barley and Ravenpaw. Ravenpaw used to be ThunderClan, so he'll probably take us in."

She glanced at Speckletail and added, "Besides, he's… He's my younger brother, actually. I think he'd let us stay, at least for a bit."

Loudbelly nodded slowly. "It's the best chance we've got, it seems," he growled reluctantly. "I haven't been to the barn, but I heard Leopardstar mention the loners after she received her nine lives. We'll head there tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" Speckletail groaned, digging her claws into the frozen earth. "But the barn is still at least a half-day's journey from here, through WindClan territory. Are we strong enough to make it that far?"

Frostfur pressed her muzzle against Speckletail's cheek reassuringly. "We'll have to be. We can't stay here much longer."

Even as she said it, a distant crash reached the camp. It was the same sound Frostfur had heard from ThunderClan's camp before they had retreated to Sunningrocks; the sound of a falling tree. Though the growl of the monsters was still too far away, the sound of the first tree falling in RiverClan territory had seemed to vibrate through the earth straight to the camp.

"Dawn tomorrow," Loudbelly decided after a few moment's silence. "Everyone eat as much as you can tonight. We'll need all our strength to make it through WindClan's territory."

* * *

The sky was barely beginning to lighten when Frostfur slipped out of the nursery into the freezing morning air. Her breath billowed in clouds around her muzzle as she strained her ears for the sounds of distant monsters. Thankfully the forest was quiet for now. The monsters usually slept at night, and they must not have awoken yet. They would have to get moving before the Twolegs woke them up.

Shadepelt pushed her way out of the nursery after her, opening her jaws in a wide yawn. She nodded to Frostfur and padded across the clearing to where they had left a blackbird and a squirrel overnight. Frostfur followed her slowly, stretching her aching limbs as she moved.

"Wanna share?" Shadepelt offered, pushing the squirrel towards her. It was stiff and frozen from being out all night, but at least the cold had kept it from beginning to rot. Nodding wordlessly, Frostfur settled down and started gnawing at the frozen squirrel.

Speckletail and Loudbelly joined them before too long, sharing the blackbird between them while Shadepelt finished off the last of the squirrel. When they finished Loudbelly stood and padded towards the camp's exit, signaling with his tail for the others to follow.

 _Who put him in charge?_ Frostfur thought irritably, though she didn't have the energy to argue right now. She needed to save it for the trek across the moorlands. Nudging Speckletail to her paws, they followed after the RiverClan cats, walking with their pelts brushing.

When they reached the WindClan border, the stench of Twolegs was nearly overpowering. Frostfur could hear them rumbling over the moorland, and remembered with a jolt of panic that WindClan had seemed the most affected by the Twoleg activity. Would they have to dodge around monsters out on the moors?

"Come on, we can't delay," Loudbelly grunted, pushing ahead and leading the way up the first hills that led into WindClan territory.

As soon as they crested the first hill, they stopped to look in dismay at what the moors had become. The monsters had torn through most of the territory, churning up the ground and destroying the undergrowth. The mud had frozen into jagged tracks across the land, and huge yellow monsters crouched here and there as if stalking prey.

Frostfur squinted at the monsters nervously, waiting to see what they would do. "I don't think they've woken up yet," she whispered to the others. The sun was just beginning to rise over Highstones, so maybe they had a bit more time before the Twolegs went back to work.

Loudbelly nodded. "We'll have to hurry though. And tread carefully. We don't want to wake them up."

He led the way again down the slope and onto the ravaged ground churned by huge paws. Even trying to hurry, they had to set their pace to match Speckletail. Frostfur walked in step with her, pressing against the older queen whenever she stumbled. If it was any other cat, Speckletail would have insisted she could take care of herself. But she stayed quiet and leaned gratefully against Frostfur's warm body.

Shadepelt gave a jolt of surprise ahead of them as one of the monsters behind them rumbled to life. A Twoleg stepped out from behind another up ahead, waving with his forepaws to several others as they climbed into the monsters. The cats had run out of time. All around them the monsters were waking up, surrounding them menacingly.

"Run!" Loudbelly screeched. Instantly he and Shadepelt shot ahead, racing towards the distant Highstones.

Panic welling inside her, Frostfur shoved Speckletail forward, willing her not to stumble now. Around them the monsters were starting to move, though they didn't seem to have spotted the two cats yet. Frostfur knew her white pelt must stick out against the churned brown mud though, so it was only a matter of time before the Twolegs saw her.

They jogged awkwardly across the uneven earth. Every moment Frostfur was sure they would be caught. She longed to bolt after the RiverClan cats, but she couldn't bear to leave Speckletail behind. She nudged the tabby queen again, willing her to move faster.

Just then, a Twoleg yowl sounded from right behind her and a shadow fell over her and Speckletail. Glancing over her shoulder, Frostfur saw it lumbering towards them with its paws outstretched.

"Keep going, I'll distract it!" Frostfur growled, shoving Speckletail onward while she turned to snarl at the Twoleg.

Speckletail hesitated, her amber eyes wild with fear. "But—"

"GO!" Frostfur gave her another hard shove and she broke into a limping run, hurrying along after the RiverClan cats.

Turning back to the Twoleg, Frostfur pulled her lips back in a menacing hiss, lashing out with one front paw. It flinched back from her and growled something at her. When it reached for her again Frostfur darted forward, slipping through its hind legs and lashing out at its ankles as she did. Her claws caught in its loose pelt and she felt one tear, but she kept running, looking back to make sure it was chasing her and not Speckletail.

Sure enough, the Twoleg was stomping after her, howling angrily to the others. Another Twoleg jumped off a monster and landed heavily in front of her. Though she tried to swerve away, it grasped her by the scruff and pulled her roughly into the air.

"Fox-hearted scum!" Frostfur shrieked, flailing wildly with her paws off the ground. She twisted around and bit into the Twoleg's paw as hard as she could, forcing herself not to let go when she tasted blood. The Twoleg yowled in fury and released her scruff, letting her fall heavily back onto her paws. Two more stood in front of her, snarling furiously and closing in on her.

But Frostfur was far too fast for the lumbering oafs. She darted between them again, spitting curses over her shoulder as she raced towards Highstones. She dodged nimbly around another Twoleg and a huge monster, adrenaline coursing through her veins and giving her the strength to run as fast as a WindClan cat.

She didn't allow herself to slow down until she had left the moors behind and crossed into the soft fields beyond WindClan's territory. Relief flooded her body when she saw Speckletail waiting for her there, her sides heaving as she sat next to Shadepelt and Loudbelly.

"You made it!" Shadepelt exclaimed, bounding forward to press her muzzle against Frostfur's cheek in an unexpected show of affection. "Thank StarClan, I was sure the Twolegs must have caught you!"

Frostfur nodded breathlessly, sinking down onto her belly to catch her breath. She noticed after a moment that Speckletail was glaring at her.

"That was a mouse-brained thing to do," she growled, moving to sit next to Frostfur and start grooming her ears. "You could have been killed! And for what, for my old bones? You should have left me behind."

"Never," Frostfur panted, fixing the older she-cat with stubborn blue eyes. "I could never leave you behind."

Speckletail held her gaze for a while longer before her amber eyes softened and she nuzzled against Frostfur lovingly. "I'm so glad you're safe," she murmured, not loud enough for the other cats to hear.

"We shouldn't dawdle here," Loudbelly said gruffly, getting to his paws again. "It isn't much further to the barn, but I want to get there before sundown."

Speckletail helped Frostfur to her paws, pressing against her to steady her. Now that the adrenaline and panic had faded, Frostfur's limbs ached from the run. Her claw was bleeding where she had snagged it on the Twoleg's pelt, causing her to limp heavily. Still she plodded on after the others, letting Speckletail support her this time.

The sun was high in the sky now, hidden behind a few wisps of clouds here and there. The four cats had to travel much slower though; they were all exhausted from the mad dash across the moors. Frostfur strained her nose, hoping to pick up the scent of Ravenpaw, but there was nothing familiar here.

She did scent mouse though, and the four stopped to hunt for a moment. Frostfur left Speckletail in a sheltered shrub to rest with Loudbelly while she and Shadepelt spread out to search for prey. It wasn't long before Frostfur managed to get her claws into a mouse, much fatter here than it had been in ThunderClan's territory. And she could hear more rustlings of prey around her.

As she scraped dirt over the mouse to save for later, she picked up the scent of another cat and bristled instinctively. Whipping around, she saw the grass ahead part to reveal a slender black tom with glowing amber eyes.

"Frostfur?" the tom gasped, looking bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"Ravenpaw!" Frostfur's hackles relaxed immediately as she recognized the younger cat. He looked much different than the last time she had seen him. Back then he had been scrawny and nervous. Nothing like the sleek, well-developed tom that stood before her now.

Ravenpaw examined her closely, taking in her ragged white pelt and the dried blood on her paw from her torn claw. "What in StarClan's name are you doing here?" he repeated. "The Clans left days ago!"

Frostfur shook her head. "Speckletail and I stayed behind," she explained. "We're too old to make the journey. There's two other elders with us, Loudbelly and Shadepelt of RiverClan."

The tom furrowed his brow anxiously. "I hope you weren't living with all that since the Clans left," he mewed, pointing with his muzzle back towards the moors. Frostfur knew he must be referring to the Twoleg destruction in WindClan's old territory.

"We were staying in RiverClan's camp until now. But the Twolegs have started destroying the forest there, too. They dried up the river as well."

Ravenpaw nodded in understanding. "Where are the others with you? I should take you all back to the barn to rest. You look like you haven't slept in moons."

Frostfur went to round up the others, and together they plodded on towards the Twoleg barn where Barley and Ravenpaw lived. Barley met them as they approached, looking apprehensive at the sight of more cats.

"I thought the Clans had already left?" the black and white loner mewed, looking over the ragged elders.

"These four stayed behind," Ravenpaw explained, flicking his white tail tip towards the elders. "They're too old to travel with the Clans, so they stayed here."

"But the Twolegs are destroying the last bit of the forest that was safe," Loudbelly shouldered his way forward to incline his head respectfully to Barley. "Might we stay with you, at least for a while?"

Barley still looked uncertain, but he mewed, "Of course, the barn's always got plenty of mice. As long as you stay out of sight when the Twolegs come to get hay for the cows, you can stay as long as you like."

"Thank you so much Barley, and Ravenpaw," Frostfur sighed, relief flooding her body. She followed Ravenpaw and the others into the barn where the loners made their home.

Inside the barn it was dim but much warmer than outside. All around the soft sounds and scents of mice scuffling through the hay made her mouth water. It was the perfect place for the four to stay and regain their strength. Plenty of food and warm, sweet hay to sleep in.

Murmuring their thanks to Ravenpaw and Barley again, the four elders split up to hunt until their bellies were full. Frostfur curled up in a nest of hay towards the back of the barn with Speckletail, feeling well-fed and comfortable for the first time in moons. The chilling wind couldn't reach them here, and even after hunting the barn still seemed full of the soft sounds of mice.

They would be safe here, at least for a while. As she drifted off to sleep with Speckletail's scent mingling with the smell of hay, Frostfur felt herself relaxing for the first time in what felt like ages.


	4. Chapter Three

When Frostfur awoke the next morning, it took her a while to realize where she was. She was warm and comfortable for the first time in moons, snuggled up next to Speckletail where she belonged. Not too far away she could hear the other elders breathing softly. Longtail's soft snores reaching her from where he was sleeping…

She blinked her eyes open and was confused to see not leaves and moss, but yellow hay all around her. Instead of the pale tabby form of Longtail curled up beside her, she instead saw the jet black pelt of Ravenpaw.

The previous day's adventures came flooding back to her and Frostfur shivered in spite of herself. Now that she was awake, the barn felt very different from the home she was used to in ThunderClan. She had to keep reminding herself that their home no longer existed. Even if they could return to the forest, there was no Clan waiting for them there. No more kits to share stories with or apprentices to look after them. No more visits from Cinderpelt or quiet conversations with Longtail…

Frostfur closed her eyes again, suddenly overwhelmed by sadness. She buried her nose into Speckletail's fur, seeking out the older queen's comfort. Despite everything, Speckletail still smelled like home. She was warm and familiar, a pillar of normalcy in Frostfur's changing world.

Drawing strength from her closest friend, Frostfur pulled herself up and shook the hay from her snowy white pelt. Everyone else was still asleep, though she didn't spot Barley anywhere. _Gone out early, I suppose._ Frostfur thought dismissively. She picked her way carefully around her sleeping companions and stepped outside into the cold morning air.

She was met with a watery light, seeping weakly through the clouds overhead. It was as cold as it had ever been, but Frostfur sucked in the frozen air hungrily. After the stuffy warmth of the barn, she almost welcomed the harsh wind that ruffled her fur. As chilly as it was, it was fresh and it smelt of forests and fields.

"Settling in all right?" The voice startled her, but it was only Barley padding out from around the side of the barn. His black and white fur was fluffed out against the cold, but he strode out with the air of a cat who was comfortable in his own territory.

Frostfur nodded hesitantly. She had only met the tom a few times; on her trip to the Moonstone as an apprentice, and later when he came to help the Clans drive away BloodClan. Though he'd always been a friend of ThunderClan, Frostfur was reluctant to put too much trust in a loner.

Barley seemed to sense her discomfort and gave her a sympathetic look. "Feel free to eat all the mice you want," he offered. "There's more than enough for everyone." Then he turned and slipped back into the warmth of the barn.

He passed Ravenpaw on the way out, giving the black loner an affectionate nudge as they passed each other. Ravenpaw stretched each of his limbs in turn, clearly in no hurry to start the day. When he'd finished he trotted over to where Frostfur sat and gave her a little nod of greeting. She returned the nod but said nothing.

Frostfur had never been particularly close to Ravenpaw, even when he had been part of ThunderClan. Though he was her younger brother, Dustpelt had always been easier to get along with. In the Clan Ravenpaw had been skittish and unreliable, to the point that Frostfur had even believed it when Tigerstar spread rumors about him being a traitor.

Her belly twisted uncomfortably thinking about it. The last time she had seen Ravenpaw as part of the Clan, she had chased him away from the nursery out of suspicion. Tigerstar, at the time the deputy of ThunderClan, had been trying to hide his own treachery by turning the Clan against Ravenpaw. And Frostfur, she was ashamed to admit, believed him.

But if Ravenpaw still remembered that confrontation, it didn't seem to be bothering him now. He had seated himself next to her and was washing his paws casually. It seemed he wanted to talk to her, but he was waiting for her to be comfortable enough to speak first.

After another few moments Frostfur cleared her throat and said awkwardly, "Thanks for letting us stay with you."

Ravenpaw stopped his grooming and looked at her with sad yellow eyes. "I'm glad you came, honestly," he admitted. "When the Clans left, they took a part of me with them. Even though I haven't lived with them for seasons… I guess part of you never leaves the forest, huh?"

Frostfur closed her eyes and sighed softly. "Yeah."

"So it's sort of a relief to know I'm not the last, in a way," he went on, gazing out towards Highstones. "There's still a little bit of Clan blood left here."

Frostfur didn't respond. Speaking with Ravenpaw was making her think of her kits, travelling far away in search of a new home. And Brindleface, who may have been with her now if not for Tigerstar… _How could I ever have trusted him over Ravenpaw? Over my own kin?_ She sighed again, wondering if she should apologize now.

Before she could another cat stepped out to join them and Frostfur caught herself purring happily as she recognized the scent. Speckletail nuzzled her gently in greeting and mewed, "Did you sleep alright?"

"Of course," Frostfur purred, forgetting about Ravenpaw for the moment. "How about you? Was the hay too prickly?"

"No, I—" Speckletail began to answer but broke off into a fit of coughing. Across from her Ravenpaw drew back in alarm and Frostfur felt her eyes go wide. Speckletail composed herself quickly and finished, "I slept just fine."

"How long has that cough been around?" Frostfur asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. Even though they had a warm place to sleep now, a cold in leaf-bare could be deadly. An innocent cough could become whitecough, and then greencough, before they could do anything about it.

Speckletail didn't meet her eyes. "Since last night. But it's worse this morning," she said hesitantly. "But it's just a cough. My throat's raw from breathing too much cold air yesterday."

She said it definitively, but Frostfur wasn't convinced. Without a medicine cat to diagnose her for sure, it would be better to nip this in the bud before it progressed.

Turning to Ravenpaw, Frostfur asked, "Do you and Barley keep any herbs on hand?"

Ravenpaw tilted his head to one side, looking anxious. He was clearly thinking of the same worst-case scenarios that Frostfur was. "He might, I'll have to ask," the black tom mewed. "We only really get cuts and scratches to treat around here, so I don't know what he'll have for coughs."

"Ask if he has any tansy," Frostfur suggested, remembering what Cinderpelt used to give her when she had a cold. She turned back to Speckletail to add, "And you should get back inside and rest."

Speckletail scowled and started to protest, but another round of coughing interrupted her. So Frostfur took charge, pressing herself against Speckletail's side and guiding the dappled she-cat back to her nest inside the barn. The older queen grumbled something about her legs still working but she didn't try to argue anymore. She sank back into the hay while Ravenpaw hurried towards the loft where he and Barley had their nests.

Once Speckletail was settled in again, Frostfur set her mind on hunting. She needed to catch something for Speckletail to keep her strength up, and her own belly was growling as well.

On the way out she met Shadepelt, who kept glancing anxiously over at Speckletail.

"Is she okay?" the darker she-cat asked, kneaded the wood floor of the barn with her paws. It was surprising to see the RiverClan cat so worried about Speckletail.

 _No, we're not RiverClan and ThunderClan anymore._ Frostfur reminded herself. _Just a couple of cats trying to survive._ "She's got a bit of a cough," she said out loud, trying to sound unconcerned. "Ravenpaw's gone to get some tansy, and I figured I'd hunt for her until she's better."

"Mind if I come with you?" Shadepelt asked, brightening up a bit. "I wouldn't mind hunting outside for a bit. There's plenty of mice in the barn, but it all feels kinda… Claustrophobic."

Frostfur nodded, understanding exactly what the she-cat meant. They were both used to the freedom of the forest; the soft rustle of leaves or the music of a babbling brook. Comparatively the old barn was stuffy and confining.

With Shadepelt in tow she led the way around the side of the barn, where a few trees were scattered. Nothing like the forest, but it was more sheltered than the fields where cows grazed. Scenting the air she picked up a whiff of squirrel and her mouth watered. This far from the destruction in the forest, a big squirrel would make a good meal for Speckletail. It would remind her of home.

Splitting off from Shadepelt she dropped to a crouch and followed the trail to the base of a tree. It was a fairly old squirrel, lean from the harsh leafbare, but still much bigger than they had been in the forest before they left. Frostfur dug in her claws and pounced, landing squarely on the squirrel and killing it before it could even react.

It was just passed sunhigh when Shadepelt and Frostfur returned with their catch. Frostfur took her squirrel right to Speckletail, but the elder queen was fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, Frostfur left it just by her nest for her to wake up to later. Asleep was much better than coughing and wheezing, and it was good for her to get her rest now.

She had caught a mouse for herself and brought it over to share with the others. Shadepelt was telling Loudbelly and Ravenpaw about their hunt near the back of the barn. Barley was nowhere to be seen; either out hunting or up in his loft already.

Ravenpaw caught Frostfur's eye when she joined them. "Barley had a little bit of tansy, and it seemed to help," he told her, flicking his tail towards where Speckletail slept. "We don't have much else for helping coughs, though. So if it gets worse…"

"We'll have to make a trip to the Twolegplace to get catmint," Loudbelly said gravely.

Frostfur's eyes widened in dismay. "There's no catmint anywhere closer?"

Ravenpaw shook his head. "The Twolegs that own the barn had some in their garden, but the frost this season has killed it all. I went and checked while you were out hunting." He looked apologetic, though the weather was hardly his fault. "If worst comes to worst, Twolegplace would be our only hope."

Frostfur dug her claws into the soft wood floor of the barn. Twolegplace was so far away from here… Back in ThunderClan it would have been a simple trip there and back, but here… They couldn't go through the forest either, so they would have to find another way around.

"I'm sure it won't come to that," Shadepelt said quickly, noticing how upset Frostfur was. "You said the tansy made her feel better, right? And she's sleeping soundly now. I'm sure this cold will clear up in no time."

Though it was hard to believe her words, Shadepelt's positive attitude did make Frostfur feel a little better. "You're right," she said firmly, trying to convince herself as well as the others. "Speckletail will sleep this off and be better in the morning. We don't have to worry about catmint or Twolegplace."

Loudbelly and Ravenpaw still looked skeptical, but they didn't press the issue.

* * *

Speckletail was not better the next morning.

Though she had managed to force down the squirrel the night before, when she woke up she seemed frailer than ever. The last of her meager strength seemed to have drained away during the night. She woke up just long enough to complain of a sore throat before she began coughing again. Even when she wasn't coughing she wouldn't speak because it hurt too much.

Ravenpaw and Barley went out again to check around the Twoleg's house for catmint, but it seemed pretty unlikely that they would find anything. In the meantime, all they could do was give Speckletail a few old poppy seeds to put her back into a fitful sleep.

Frostfur sat by the barn door, watching Speckletail's flank rise and fall where she slept in her nest. She kept shifting now and then, clearly dreaming. It was taking all of Frostfur's self-control to just let her sleep, rather than lying with her and grooming her protectively. All she could do for now was wait for Ravenpaw and Barely to return.

Her head whipped when the barn door creaked open a crack and two cats slipped inside. "Any luck?" She called to them, getting to her feet anxiously.

Ravenpaw shook his head, looking defeated. "We dug around in the Twoleg's garden as much as we could, but there was nothing left." He mewed. Barley licked his ear comfortingly. "Not even a few dry leaves or roots."

"Then we'll have to make the trip to Twolegplace," Frostfur decided. She had expected their answer, and had been mentally preparing herself for a journey ever since they left. "I'll go, and I should leave now."

"Now hold on just a minute," Loudbelly spoke up, padding over to join them with Shadepelt. "Twolegplace will be a long journey, now that you can't go through the old forest. You don't even know the way."

"And there's no guarantee any of the catmint there will have survived the winter…" Shadepelt added softly.

Barley stepped forward. "I know the route around the forest well. I haven't always been welcome on the Clan's territory, so I had to learn a way around if I even needed something from town—er, Twolegplace. I showed Ravenpaw the way too."

"Yeah," Ravenpaw said sheepishly. "I went around that way a few times hunting and patrolling… Especially after BloodClan fell, to make sure they were really gone."

Loudbelly didn't look convinced. "How long would it take to go there and back?"

"Well," Barley tilted his head to one side, thinking it through. "If you just head east but cut around ShadowClan's territory, it would take the better part of the day. But I don't know how far around the construction you'll have to go before you reach the edge of the town— Sorry, Twolegplace."

"Then I should leave _now_ , before it gets any later." Frostfur insisted. She was getting more and more impatient the longer they sat here carrying on about it.

"It's nearly sunhigh now," Shadepelt pointed out, looking out the crack in the door towards the sky. "There's no way you'd get there before nightfall."

Frostfur turned on her, her pelt bristling slightly. "But Speckletail is only going to get worse the longer we wait around!"

She stiffened at a touch on her shoulder, but it was only Ravenpaw trying to calm her down. His amber eyes were sympathetic and understanding. "If you want to go now, I'll go with you and show you the way."

Frostfur blinked gratefully at him and turned back to Loudbelly. "You don't have to come with me. None of you do. But I have to do this for Speckletail."

Loudbelly held her gaze for a moment, looking like he still wanted to object. But finally he sighed and stepped aside. "I can't stop you. I'm not your leader," He rumbled. "But I do hope you'll be careful. Trying to rush and getting yourself hurt won't help anyone."

 _If you're not my leader, then don't lecture me!_ Frostfur stifled the thought before it left her mouth and only nodded curtly.

"I'll come too!" Shadepelt piped up, seeming not to notice the tension between her Clanmate and Frostfur. "The more paws the better, right?"

Frostfur hesitated. She liked the darker she-cat just fine and wouldn't mind travelling with her, but she wasn't fond of the idea of leaving Speckletail with just Loudbelly and Barley. Despite Barley's hospitality he was still a loner. And Loudbelly… Frostfur couldn't bring herself to trust him. He was too bossy and always seemed to act like the leader of their little group, despite saying he wasn't.

As reluctant as she was to admit it, out of all the former Clan cats Frostfur had really come to trust Shadepelt. She was well-meaning and energetic, and didn't try to presume anything about Frostfur the way Loudbelly did. Somehow she had found a way into Frostfur's frigid heart.

"The more paws the better…" Frostfur repeated finally, feeling guilty. "But, that's why I think it's better for you to stay here with Speckletail." Shadepelt looked crestfallen for a moment so Frostfur pressed on, "Speckletail can be difficult, but she trusts you because… Well, because I trust you. It would really mean a lot to me if you could look after her while I'm gone."

Understanding dawned in Shadepelt's eyes and she nodded solemnly. "I'll take good care of her for you, I promise."

Frostfur touched her nose briefly to the darker cat's shoulder, then turned towards Ravenpaw. "Let's get moving."

Ravenpaw nodded, a hint of excitement in his round amber eyes. Perhaps he was looking forward to an adventure with his older sister. Frostfur, on the other hand, couldn't help feeling a cold sense of dread as the two padded out of the barn and towards the unknown.


	5. Chapter Four

_A/N - I've had to take a few liberties and make a few assumptions about the layout of Twolegplace in relation to the rest of the Clans. I drew out a map for it but I can't link it here so you'll just have to trust me that this makes sense ._._ _;;_

* * *

It wasn't quite sunhigh when they set off, and the morning's chill wind still ruffled the two cat's pelts as they trudged on. To start with, Ravenpaw had set a fairly slow pace through the cow fields. Perhaps he feared that Frostfur, technically an elder, wouldn't be able to keep up with him. But Frostfur's sense of urgency drove her on and she soon pushed them into a brisk trot across the moors.

They travelled in silence for some time, Frostfur impatiently leading the way for the most part. She only glanced back to Ravenpaw when she needed directions, and he would motion with his tail which way they should go. There was no reason to speak, and Frostfur could hardly think of what to say anyway.

Before too long the fields gave way to rocks and sandy dirt as they passed by Highstones. Their high peaks rose ominously against the painfully blue sky. Gazing at them as they hurried over the frozen ground, Frostfur couldn't help but think of her kits.

Where were they now, travelling so far beyond the forest? Were they warm? Did they have food? Were they looking after each other? How long would it be before they found a new home? Did StarClan really go with them?

"You must miss them too," Ravenpaw said suddenly, making Frostfur jump.

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice casual when she answered, "Of course. They were my family. They were all I had."

A flicker of hurt might have passed through Ravenpaw's eyes, but it was gone so quickly that she may have imagined it. "I felt the same way when I left ThunderClan to live with Barley," He mewed sympathetically. "But it was nice to still be nearby, to be able to see Firestar and Graystripe now and then…" He hesitated, looking towards by the unforgiving spikes of Highstones.

Feeling awkward, Frostfur brushed passed him and hurried on towards their destination. She couldn't afford to get distracted thinking about the Clans now. They were far away, and she couldn't help them anymore. Meanwhile, Speckletail was back in Barley's barn counting on her to bring back the catmint they so desperately needed.

Even though she had convinced herself to keep moving, Frostfur was relieved when they passed out of the shadow of Highstones. A wide thunderpath lay between them and the edge of ShadowClan's old territory. From here it was hard to tell if the construction had reached this far, but the stench of monsters from the path was too hard to tell.

Ravenpaw padded to the edge of the hard path and glanced both ways before signaling with his tail that it was okay to cross. They leapt out onto the hard tar side by side and streaked across with ease.

"I think we'd best go a bit north from here," the black tom said curtly, steering them along the edge of the path for a bit. "Unless you want to risk cutting through ShadowClan's territory."

Frostfur squashed the voice inside her that wanted to cut straight through ShadowClan into Twolegplace. "It's too dangerous," she sighed, thinking of how ShadowClan's territory would be infested with Twolegs. "North it is."

They trekked along the edge of the thunderpath at the very edge of ShadowClan's territory. The scent markers here still lingered, mostly overpowered by the scent of monsters. In the distance Frostfur could hear them rumbling, at work tearing into the swampy forests ShadowClan had once called home.

After another long silence Ravenpaw suddenly asked, "So why did you retire to the elder's den anyway?"

The question startled Frostfur and she blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, it's pretty clear to me that you're just as quick and strong as you've always been," He went on, somewhat sheepishly. "And you're not nearly as old as Speckletail, or even Barley for that matter. So why retire?"

"Why's that any of your business?" Frostfur snapped irritably. Where was this coming from all of a sudden? "My bones ache, and I get a cough in the winter…"

She trailed off, pricking up her ears and scanning the distance. There seemed to be a deep rumbling sound coming from the thunderpath, getting close every second. Monsters rarely left the slick hard path, but this was a slightly different rumbling. And moving very quickly.

Finally she spotted it: Several small monsters, like none she had ever seen. The Twolegs were straddling them rather that riding inside their bellies – sort of the way she'd seen them ride around on horses from across the river on RiverClan's territory. There were about six of them, hollering to each other over the deafening rumble of the small monsters. Several of them carried what looked like long, smooth branches.

Frostfur started to move away from the thunderpath and towards the bushes, but somehow Ravenpaw hadn't seemed to notice them. He was still looking at her, looking troubled.

"But I just don't understand—" he tried to continue their conversation.

"Look out!" Frostfur shrieked.

One of the small monsters had swerved away from the others, clearly spotting the two cats. He was holding his branch out into the median, swinging it towards the cats and wobbling precariously on the monster.

Hardly stopping to think, Frostfur bit down hard on Ravenpaw's scruff and yanked him back into the bushes. They crashed into the undergrowth in a cloud of black and white fur, with the startled Ravenpaw landing heavily on top of her with a yowl. The Twoleg and his monster blew a few tail-lengths passed the cats before his monster finally gave up, collapsing on its side and spilling its rider onto the greasy turf.

Extracting herself from Ravenpaw, Frostfur pulled herself to the edge of the bushes and peered out anxiously. The Twoleg's friends skidded to a stop ahead of him, pointing back and guffawing while the crashed Twoleg angrily got to his feet and brushed himself off. Then, picking the purring monster back up, he swung himself over it and the group rode off in a cloud of noxious smoke.

Frostfur only let herself breathe once they were out of sight and the growling of their strange monsters had faded. She turned back to where Ravenpaw was sat up looking bewildered and asked, "Are you alright?"

The black tom nodded slowly. "I… I wasn't paying attention," he stuttered, sounding like his old apprentice days. "I heard a monster but I didn't see… I thought it would be a truck, not motorcycles."

"Motorcycles?" Frostfur repeated the unfamiliar word slowly, wondering if Ravenpaw had hit his head too badly.

But he was standing up alright now, shaking twigs and dead leaves from his sleek pelt. "That's what Barley calls those little monsters," He explained. "I've seen them from a distance, but Barley says they act differently from the other monsters sometimes. They dart around and swerve off the path sometimes."

"They certainly did that," Frostfur grunted. "Come on, we should keep moving. And keep an eye out for more… Moto… Whatevers."

Ravenpaw nodded breathlessly and let Frostfur lead the way, keeping close to the bushes now as they followed the thunderpath. It was well past sunhigh now, with the sun already sinking towards the horizon. In a terrible leafbare like this, the days were far too short for a journey like this.

"Ah, there we go," Ravenpaw spoke up for the first time since the incident on the thunderpath, bounding forward towards a strange mesh fence that came right up to the thunderpath. Testing the air cautiously, Frostfur nearly wretched at the stench of the Carrionplace.

Trying not to breathe in too much of the smell, she hurried after Ravenpaw to ask, "Is this the Carrionplace ShadowClan used to talk about?"

"Just the one! We can turn east again now and head straight for Twolegplace." The tom seemed to have brightened up since finding the landmark, as if knowing where he was helped his confidence.

Frostfur was less enthused; if they had only just now found the Carrionplace at the edge of ShadowClan's territory, they still had quite a way to go. And the stench wasn't helping her mood either.

Still, she liked Ravenpaw considerably better when he was happy then when he was jumpy and scared. It was a side of him she had never gotten to see back when he lived with the Clan. Even Dustpelt, Ravenpaw's littermate, didn't seem to see this side of him. Dustpelt would do everything in his power to make the Clan forget that they were brothers when they were apprentices together.

 _Was it Tigerstar that made him so frightened?_ Frostfur wondered as she let him lead the way deeper into ShadowClan's territory. _No, he was like this even before he was apprenticed. That's why Bluestar wanted to give him a strong mentor in the first place…_

"We should find a place to stop for the night before it gets much darker," Ravenpaw startled her out of her thoughts again. "My paws are aching from walking on frozen ground all day anyway…"

Loathe as she was to delay, even to sleep, Frostfur had to admit she was exhausted. Her pads were cracked and raw, and her legs ached like never before. She had been trying to force the pain out of her mind to keep going, but now that Ravenpaw mentioned it she wanted to collapse.

Ravenpaw was nosing through a patch of brambles up ahead, looking worried. "There's some tracks of monsters up here and a few felled trees, but it doesn't look like they've done much serious damage yet…"

"Only a matter of time," Frostfur grumbled, pushing past the black tom to crouch underneath the brambles. It hardly offered much shelter, but it was better than nothing.

They curled up side by side to sleep, though Frostfur's head was still spinning with thoughts. Thoughts of Speckletail back at the barn, thoughts of Ravenpaw's strange questions… And though she still tried to push them away, thoughts of her kits far away in a distant territory.

As she finally began to drift towards sleep, she felt Ravenpaw shift closer to her. Though her first instinct was to move away, she let him press up against her.

He sighed softly, seemingly already asleep. But then he mumbled, "You still didn't answer my question."

Frostfur ignored him, pretending she was already asleep. Soon enough, she really was.

* * *

They were woken up the next morning by a cold, gray drizzle. It was impossible to tell how long they had slept based on the dreary clouds, but Frostfur hoped it wasn't long past dawn. The sooner they got moving the better. As soon as Ravenpaw was on his feet, she set off again at a brisk pace.

Before too long, her stomach growled audibly.

Ravenpaw purred in amusement. "Shall we stop to hunt?"

"I went weeks without food before the Clans left," Frostfur growled, refusing to slow her pace. But, again, her stomach betrayed her, bemoaning its emptiness loud enough for Ravenpaw to hear and twitch his whiskers.

 _I've been too well-fed since we moved to the barn,_ Frostfur thought, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Fine, but let's make it quick. We can't waste much more time."

The tom only met her words with a soft chuckle before disappearing into the undergrowth in search of his own prey. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she stalked off into the other direction in search of food.

Now, when she was in such a severe hurry, hunting seemed like such a nuisance. Back when she was a warrior she had enjoyed the thrill of the chase, the feeling of sinking her claws into a small warm body. And later, the sinking her teeth into her own freshly caught prey while she shared tongues with her Clan. But as she crept through the sparse cover towards a small sparrow, all she could think was how she wished cats didn't have to eat at all.

They reconvened with their catch before too long, Frostfur with her sparrow and Ravenpaw with a small shrew. Frostfur practically inhaled her meal in her impatience to keep moving, causing Ravenpaw to purr with laughter when she nearly choked on a feather.

"Twolegplace isn't going anywhere, you know," he pointed out in good humor. "You don't have to freak out so much."

"Speckletail could be going somewhere!" Frostfur snapped much louder than she meant to, causing Ravenpaw to flinch back and flatten his ears. But Frostfur went on, "Speckletail could be dying every moment that we spend lollygagging here! She could be on her way to StarClan right now and I wouldn't—I couldn't— " She broke off, choking on something that had nothing to do with sparrow feathers.

Ravenpaw's eyes softened until they seemed almost pitying. "Now I understand," he whispered.

"Wh-What?" Frostfur stammered, trying to pull herself together.

"Don't worry about it. Let's keep moving." He brushed passed her, lingering for a moment to lick her shoulder, then set off once again towards Twolegplace.

Frostfur closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and bounded after him.

As they travelled, the Twoleg devastation became more and more apparent. Soon they left trees behind entirely, instead padding over scarred, muddy earth and leaping over massive logs. All the trees here had been cut up into smaller chunks a few fox-lengths long, obviously done by the claws of a giant monster. Thankfully, the monster seemed to be nowhere to be found now, having moved on after cutting up all these trees.

A few Twolegs wandered around here and there, wearing the same bright yellow pelts they had worn while destroying the Clan's home. Some of them were lifting the heavy logs piece by piece into the back of a small, flat monster, while other Twolegs shouted instructions to them. The workers were easy enough to dodge around and hide from though, and they hardly noticed two cats slinking through their territory.

Without any trees obscuring the sky, the oppressive drizzle soaked them to the bone in freezing water. The only thing that kept Frostfur going was the fact that without any trees in the way, they could also, finally, see the roofs of Twoleg nests in the distance.

Finally, _finally_ , the two drenched cats reached the fences that marked the edge of Twolegplace. Frostfur never thought she'd be so relieved to set foot in a Twoleg garden, but here she was scrabbling up onto the fence to survey the land. From atop the rickety wooden fence, she could see rows and rows of identical Twoleg nests as far as the eye could see.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, Ravenpaw turned to her and asked, "Now what?"

Frostfur rounded on him angrily. "I thought you knew your way around here!"

"Not into the Twolegplace, no!" Ravenpaw retorted, sounding somewhat offended. "I know the way here, I've barely set foot passed the border!"

Frostfur snorted contemptuously but pointed with her nose towards a small thunderpath that ran between the nests. "Let's follow that path for a bit, and check all the gardens along the way. One of them is bound to have some catmint."

"Let's hope so," Ravenpaw muttered, leaping down from the fence to begin searching the garden they were already looking into. As she started towards the next nest he called out, "Try not to get separated!"

Easier said than done. As they followed the path between the nest, it became harder and harder to tell them apart the more Frostfur searched. She and Ravenpaw would split up to search around one garden, lose each other for a bit, panic, then managed to find each other again before moving on to the next. And doing it all over again. It was impossible to tell any scents apart here; everything was so jumbled up with the smell of Twolegs, monsters, dogs and other cats. To top it all off the rain made keeping track of Ravenpaw's scent nearly impossible.

"Dear StarClan, how deep in will we have to go?" Ravenpaw lamented after they had searched the sixth or seventh garden each. "If we go much farther, we'll never find our way out!"

Frostfur shook her head. "We have to find catmint," she said firmly. "Then we can think about getting out. Let's try over here," she turned right onto another thunderpath that intersected with the one they had been following.

The first gardens were no more fruitful than the others; just brittle bushes and dead flowers.

Growing more and more discouraged, Frostfur scrabbled up the next fence and peered down into the garden. Immediately she was met with a flurry of vicious barking as a large dog, at least three times her size, started jumping at the fence. Frostfur dug her claws in instinctively and hissed at it, trying to scan its yard for catmint without getting shaken off the fence.

Deciding she wouldn't get anything done with the dog there, she turned and jumped down, shaking out her damp fur wretchedly. _Dear StarClan, how am I supposed to find anything in this place?_

Her prayer was interrupted by the sound of scrabbling behind her. She whipped around just in time to see the dog pulling itself out of a gap under the fence. It swayed its big head back and forth, spotted her, and howled triumphantly as it charged.

Terror gripped her claw like a white hot claw and ripped a shriek from her throat as Frostfur turned to run. She pelted off at full speed back the way she had come, looking around wildly for a place to hide. Behind her she could feel the dog already nipping at her heels, taking advantage of her slow start.

 _Ravenpaw!_ The thought broke through the fear clouding her mind. _Find Ravenpaw!_

"Help! Ravenpaw! Anyone!" she managed to gasp out, her voice shrill with terror.

In answer, a voice up ahead called out, "This way!" Glancing around frantically, she spotted the dark slender cat on top of a higher fence up ahead. She veered towards him and he leapt nimbly from the fence into the low branches of a tree right next to it.

Frostfur bunched up her muscles and launched herself at the fence, digging her claws in and scrabbling with her back legs against the smooth, wet wood. The dog flung itself after her, and she grit her teeth in determination. She caught a grip with her back legs and, seemingly in slow motion as the dog drew closer, hauled herself up onto the fence.

Once she was there she turned towards the tree, pouncing into its lower branches but misjudging ever so slightly. Her back paws slipped and she hung by her top half, wailing as the dog snapped at her tail below.

Quick as a squirrel Ravenpaw navigated the branches to reach her, sinking his teeth into her scruff and hauling her up into the tree until she was steady. Below them the dog made another massive leap towards the perching cats, but he couldn't come close enough to the branch to shake them off. After a few more attempts he sat down and whined, staring up at them and drooling freely.

Finally getting the chance to catch her breath, Frostfur sat frozen and gasping for a few moments before she was able to move again. She could still hear the blood rushing in her ears, pumping adrenaline through her veins as she gazed down at the crying dog. It didn't seem to feel like leaving anytime soon, but there was no way for it to get her up here.

Frostfur let her muscles relax, sitting up and turning to Ravenpaw. "Thank StarClan you were here, Raven— "

She broke off when she got a good look at the tom that had saved her. He was slender with a sleek pelt that rippled over toned muscles, and had bright, intelligent yellow eyes. But he was, in fact, brown. Not black. In fact he was entirely solid brown, darkening to almost black at his points.

Most importantly he was, definitely, without a doubt, not Ravenpaw.

"You're not Ravenpaw," Frostfur said bluntly.

The strange tom blinked at her. "Er, no? Sorry to disappoint," He chuckled casually. "The name's Pompei. Good thing I saw ya, though…"

He trailed off, as Frostfur was clearly not listening. She had stood up and paced carefully down as far as she dared along the branch, trying to look out over the nests and spot a small black cat. Below her the dog followed her every movement, staying below her eagerly as if hoping she would fall.

"Ravenpaw!" she called out as loud as she could, her yowl echoing between the strange stone nests. She strained her eyes for something she recognized, but it was no use. There was no telling how far she had run from Ravenpaw, and here all the buildings looked just as identical as all the others she had seen. Snarling to herself she yowled again, "Ravenpaw, where are you?!"

The dog yowled forlornly in response.


	6. Chapter Five

_A/N - I want to thank everyone again for the reviews! I read all of them and it really keeps me going. One thing to address since it was pointed out: Pompei with one "I" is the Italian spelling for the city. Like Firenze is the Italian name for Florence, Milano is the Italian name for Milan, ect. It's a silly little thing but I took Italian in high school and it's hard to shake XD;; Anyway there's a lot of Pompei in this chapter so get ready!_

* * *

At the other end of the branch the stranger was grooming himself casually. "Well, it kinda looks like we'll be stuck here for a spell," he motioned with his tail towards the lingering dog. "So, whatcher name?

Frostfur glanced back at him briefly. "Frostfur."

"Frostfur, didja say? It suits ya," the tom purred. "Like I said, I'm Pompei. It's nice to meetcha!"

Frostfur ignored him, still scanning the thunderpaths and gardens for the familiar black shape of Ravenpaw. If they got separated in a place like this…

" _If we go much farther, we'll never find our way out!"_ Ravenpaw's own words echoed in her head. She was beginning to panic again, for reasons completely unrelated to the dog. How would she ever find Ravenpaw again? And how would they ever find catmint in this StarClan-forsaken place? And then, even if they found it, how would they ever find their way back to Speckletail and the others?

"Ravenpaw!" Frostfur screeched again, hearing her voice echo back to her emptily. The dog, who had stretched out on its belly, jumped up and started barking again.

The strange tom flinched behind her. "Geez, ya don't gotta yell so loud! Your friend will sniff ya out and find us!"

Frostfur rounded on him, the branch they were on wobbling precariously. "It's utterly _impossible_ to 'sniff out' _anything_ in this horrible place!" She snapped shrilly. "Everywhere I turn it's more of these blasted nests and monsters and thunderpaths as far as the eye can see!"

A strange look came over the tom's face. "Ohh, you must be one-a those foresty-type cats!" He said, nodding in understanding. "That explains the weirdo names! I guess your friend's a forest-guy too?"

It took Frostfur a moment to decipher the tom's accent but she finally answered simply, "Yes," and went back to scanning the gardens. The dog whined.

"Huh, well that is a predicament, ain't it?" The sable tomcat mused. "I guess ya buddy don't know his away 'round town any better'n you do, right?"

"Right," Frostfur said curtly. This Pompei character was incredibly tiresome to listen to.

After another moment of pondering the tom announced, "Well, I've had enough sittin' on my ass for one day," followed by, "Let's dance, ugly!" Then the branch shook tremendously as he flung himself off and onto the dog below.

Frostfur could only watch in astonishment as the dark brown tom landed squarely on the dog's back. It gave a startled bark as he dug his claws in, yowling like he was going to war. The dog spun around frantically, trying to snap at Pompei with his teeth but unable to reach, stumbling this way and that clumsily.

Waiting for an opening, Pompei lashed out expertly with one paw, slashing the dog clean across the nose and splattering blood onto the pavement. The beast howled in pain, bucking and twisting wildly until he finally dislodged the cat clinging to him.

Pompei landed gracefully on his paws and darted back towards the dog, screeching, "Issat all ya got?!"

He ran circles around the larger dog, racing out of the way just as it tried to clamp its jaws down on his tail or a stray paw. As he ran he lashed out at the beast, pulling clumps of fur and drawing blood on its legs and muzzle and laughing the whole time.

Before long the dog seemed to decide Pompei was definitely not prey worth catching. With a last furious snarl, it turned tail and ran off down the thunderpath.

"And don't come back, ya mangy mutt!" Pompei spat after it, rearing up on his back legs triumphantly. He landed with a thud on all fours and called up to Frostfur, "You can come down now, Frosty!"

Frostfur was too stunned to object to being called 'Frosty'. She slithered down the tree and landed heavily on the hard stone thunderpath, all but gaping at Pompei. Finally she composed herself enough to choke out, "You're no ordinary kittypet."

Pompei barked out a short laugh. "Kittypet? If ya mean livin' with those stinkin' humans, I'd rather die." He spat in the direction of the closest Twoleg nest, whose tree they had just used for shelter. "Nah, I'm a street-cat through and through here, Frosty."

The nickname registered annoyance with her this time, but Frostfur chose to ignore it. "Well, thank you for taking care of the dog," she said icily, stepping around him. "I should be on my way."

"Hey nooooow, don't be like that!" The tom, to her immense irritation, fell into step beside her. "I wanna help ya out! 'Sides, you ain't got a clue where you're goin', do ya?"

Frostfur ignored him and kept moving forward blindly. Maybe if she just pretended he wasn't still following her, he would go away.

But Pompei was a persistent fellow, apparently. "C'mon Frosty, ya wanna find your friend, don'tcha?" He prodded, matching her pace perfectly.

" _Don't_ call me 'Frosty'," Frostfur snarled, whirling to face him with her fur bristling. "My _name_ is Frost _fur_ , thank you very much!"

Pompei drew back a bit, flattening himself to the ground in a show of submission. "Easy there, lady! I didn't mean no offense," he said soothingly. "I really do wanna help ya find your friend! I'd feel awful leavin' the two-a ya lost in here by yourselves!"

It took a conscious effort to make her fur lie flat, but Frostfur forced herself to relax. "… Fine," she growled reluctantly. "He's a black tom with a white spot on his chest, and a white tail-tip." After a moment's hesitation she added, "He's my younger brother."

The loner's eyes went wide. "Your little bro! Well now I'd feel even worse if ya didn't find each other! Let's retrace your steps!"

He hurried past Frostfur, back the way she had run while being chased by the dog. At least, she thought it was the way she had come. Pompei seemed to know where he was going in any case, so as much as she hated to rely on another loner, she had to trust him. He had his nose to the ground as if tracking a scent, leading them back along the rows of nests.

"Aha!" He chirped as they came to a corner. He pointed with his nose to a tuft of white fur caught on the edge of one of the twoleg fences. "Ya must-a rounded this corner real tight and lost a bit-a fur. So ya came from this-a-way!"

As he bounded ahead Frostfur stared in disbelief for a moment at the tuft of her own fur. Was this wild, dog-fighting, fast-talking tomcat _actually_ able to follow a scent trail in this place?

It wasn't long before he came to another stop again, looking back towards Frostfur. "The trail ends here, so that must be where the dog broke out." He gestured towards a hole dug under one of the Twoleg fences. Thankfully, the dog was nowhere to be seen now. "I s'pose here's as good a place as any to start lookin'?"

Frostfur nodded, turning back the way they had come and calling out Ravenpaw's name again. Pompei echoed her as they trotted back along the street until they came to the same corner again.

"We didn't see him the other way, so maybe he turned this-a-way," Pompei suggested, leading her in the opposite direction of where she had turned and snagged her pelt.

They yelled and yowled their little feline lungs out until the clouds overhead started to clear and Frostfur saw it was nearly sunset. She'd been wandering around this stupid place all day, and was further than ever from finding catmint for Speckletail!

"Oh for StarClan's sake Ravenpaw, where are you?!" she screeched, leaping haphazardly onto the closest fence and screwing her eyes shut in frustration. Maybe, if she prayed really hard, when she opened them Ravenpaw would be sitting in a field of catmint right below her.

She opened her eyes.

"Ravenpaw!"

"Frostfur!"

The black tom leapt up onto the fence beside her and pressed against her in relief. Frostfur couldn't help the purr that escaped her as she rubbed her cheek against his. She was surprised by how happy she was to see him again.

Pompei joined them on top of the fence, looking ecstatic. "Issat him? Issat the elusive Ravenpaw? Did we find him?"

Ravenpaw blinked in bewilderment at the excited stranger. "Er, yes." he mewed slowly. "Sorry, do I know you?"

"The name's—"

"Pompei." A fourth cat joined them on the fence. He was a massive, smokey black tomcat with piercing yellow eyes. Pompei seemed to deflate a bit at the sight of him.

"Oh! Um, this is Firenze," Ravenpaw piped up, swishing his tail towards the huge tomcat. "So then you must be his brother Pompei! He mentioned you while he was helping me out."

Without a word of acknowledgement the cat called Firenze jumped down from the fence. He glanced back up at the other three and rumbled, "It's getting dark. We should find somewhere more private to talk."

"Ah…" Pompei choked out as Ravenpaw jumped off the fence as well.

Frostfur hesitated as well; she hadn't seen a tom the size of Firenze since… Well, since Tigerstar. Considering that, it was strange that Ravenpaw seemed comfortable with him at all. Still, she gave Pompei an encouraging look and followed the other two off the fence.

Firenze led them a ways down the road to a small alley between two buildings. The other end of the alley was closed off, and a few knocked over bins and boxes littered the ground. Here Firenze turned to face the other three, his bushy tail wrapping around him neatly.

"So, Ravenpaw tells me you've come in search of catnip," he said softly. His voice sounded like distant thunder over Highstones.

"Catnip?" Pompei whistled. "I wouldn't-a pegged you two for nip-heads! T'each their own, eh Frosty?" He winked knowingly at Frostfur.

Frostfur stared back at him in confusion. "We need cat _mint_ ," she stated. "It's for our friend. She's very sick with a cough, and catmint may cure it."

The smoke tom nodded. "Catnip is our word for your 'catmint'. It is a very fragrant plant with thick, dark green leaves, yes?"

"Yes, yes that's it!" Frostfur exclaimed, leaping to her paws. "Do you know where some is?"

"Certainly," Firenze said with what could have been a chuckle. "But it is too late to bring you there now. I can take you there at dawn." He turned away briskly and settled into one of the overturned boxes, tucking his paws under himself.

Ravenpaw furrowed his brow and turned towards Frostfur. "Are you okay with that? It could be another few days before we get back to Speckletail."

Frostfur wished she had the energy to argue, but her shoulders sagged in defeat. Even if she could have convinced the massive street-cat to take her straight there, she wasn't sure her paws could carry her that far. After the long journey here and then getting chased around by dogs all day, even one of those dirty boxes looked like a nice nest.

"I don't think we have a choice," she replied quietly, glancing over at Firenze. He was watching them with unsettling yellow eyes that glowed in the gathering darkness. "We'd never find our way there ourselves, and I don't think we could convince these two to take us there."

"Maybe not Firenze," Ravenpaw agreed, "But your friend Pompei might take us there now if we asked."

Frostfur resented him referring to Pompei as her 'friend', but she glanced over at the sable tom hopefully. He had found a spot to curl up behind them on a pile of old newspapers. She could tell from his uncomfortable shifting that he was not yet asleep, but he had his face hidden under his tail as if he didn't want to be disturbed.

He had hardly said a word since Firenze had found them, and Frostfur had the feeling they didn't much get along.

"I don't think he'll be much help either," she whispered, turning away and looking for a good spot to sleep. She beckoned with her tail for Ravenpaw to join her inside of a large overturned box, where they could be out of Firenze's immediate line of sight.

Frostfur flopped down and curled up tight in the relative dryness and warmth provided by the box. Ravenpaw settled in next to her, licking her ears comfortingly as she drifted off to sleep. It was, she had to admit, rather nice to have him with her in such a strange place. His scent was familiar and feeling his fur pressed against her was reassuring. After all, despite their differences he was her brother.

With that thought lingering in her mind, Frostfur finally managed to put her worries to rest and fall into a deep slumber.

Frostfur was roused before long by a cool breeze ruffling her pelt. She lifted her head and blinked open her eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the dim gray light. The rocks and earth around her seemed unfamiliar, but as she stood up she was nearly blinded by a sudden flash of pure white light.

She was standing before the Moonstone, its crystalline surface glittering in the light of a full moon. Frostfur backed away in a panic, her eyes wide and fearful. How on earth had she gotten here? Where was Ravenpaw?

"Don't be alarmed," as she stared ahead at the Moonstone, a shape seemed to peel away from it and step towards her. It was faint, but unmistakably the shape of a cat. Stars pooled at its paws and twinkled in its pelt as it solidified slightly into a more familiar form.

Frostfur's heart leapt into her throat. "Brindleface?"

The StarClan warrior purred and nodded. "It's been a long time, Frostfur." She stepped forward to touch her nose to Frostfur. It felt like fire, but also as cold as ice.

Frostfur wanted to press forward and bury her face into her sister's fur, but she was too stunned to move. All she could do was stand and stare while Brindleface's sweet, familiar scent wreathed around her.

"I haven't been able to visit you before now, but I wanted to tell you that Speckletail is okay." Brindleface said kindly, moving back a pace to meet Frostfur's eyes. "She is quite sick, but Shadepelt and Barley are taking care of her. And I'm looking after her as well. I'll make sure she will be there to greet you when you return."

Frostfur finally managed to find her voice. "S-So StarClan is still looking after us?" she stuttered, gazing around the cavern in wonder. It occurred to her that she was most definitely dreaming. "But… What about the Clans? What about our kits?"

Brindleface lifted her head to gaze out the hole in the roof where the full moon shone brightly. "StarClan is travelling as well," she explained. "They left with the Clans to lead them to their new home. I stayed behind, as well as a few others," She lowered her soft green gaze again to Frostfur. "To watch over you."

"Brindleface…" Frostfur whispered, too full of emotion to say anything else. She couldn't help but remember the last time she had seen her sister, murdered in cold blood by Tigerstar. She looked just as she had before her death, beautiful and shimmering in the pale light of the Moonstone.

Her sister's ears twitched. "I can't stay, you must return to Ravenpaw and finish your mission." The dream was beginning to fade, but Brindleface moved forward to press her cheek to Frostfur's one last time. "Be careful, Frostfur. Remember that there are some cats that cannot be trusted."

"What do you mean?" Frostfur asked desperately, but she was already gone. The light reflecting from the Moonstone faded as the moon passed overhead, and Frostfur was plunged into darkness.

Frostfur awoke with a start, her fur bristling while she stared around wildly. The walls of the cardboard box seemed dull and claustrophobic after her dream. But a trace of Brindleface's scent seemed to linger, mixing with Ravenpaw's from where he still slept next to her. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to commit the image of her sister and the Moonstone to memory forever.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt full of a new determination. Speckletail was alive, and she was waiting for them. A dim light was filtering in from the open end of the box, telling Frostfur that it was just passed dawn. They had to get moving again.

She prodded Ravenpaw to rouse him, and he lifted his head to blink at her. Without a word she motioned for him to follow, and slipped out of the box into the damp morning air.

Firenze was seated at the very end of the alley, looking out onto the thunderpath and the many rows of nests beyond it. Pompei was still where he had slept the night before, but he was sat up and looking around nervously. When he spotted Frostfur he perked up, but Firenze turned around before he could say anything.

"Ah, I was just about to wake you," the giant smoky tom rumbled, striding down the alley to greet Frostfur. "We should get moving. As I understand it, you have limited time."

Frostfur nodded slowly, holding his intense yellow gaze. Something about this tom still didn't sit right with her, and she remembered Brindleface's warning: _Remember that there are some cats that cannot be trusted._

Ravenpaw pushed out from behind her, stretching his back and yawning. "We heading out?" he asked, looking between Firenze and Frostfur. "No time to hunt a bit, I suppose."

Firenze did not respond. He only nodded and turned on his heel, marching out of the alleyway. Frostfur and Ravenpaw scrambled to follow him. Though she was wary of the large street-cat, Frostfur had to admit she appreciated his briskness. After all, they didn't have much time to waste.

Pompei hadn't moved from his spot yet, and Frostfur paused when she passed him. "Coming?" she asked casually. She didn't care much either way, but she had assumed he would be tagging along again.

The dark tom hesitated, then sighed and heaved himself to his paws. "S'pose so," he grunted and trotted after the others.

Firenze led them confidently along the edge of the thunderpath, his long bushy tail swaying out behind him. Ravenpaw trotted along after him, staring around with wide amber eyes as if he wanted to memorize the layout of the place. Frostfur stayed close to him, glancing over her back now and then to where Pompei brought up the rear.

It seemed they had a ways to go, so after a bit Frostfur let herself drop back to where Pompei trailed behind them. "Firenze is your brother, right?" she asked cautiously. "Are you from the same litter?" Perhaps she could get a bit more information about Firenze before deciding if he was the untrustworthy cat Brindleface had warned her of.

Pompei shook his head. "Nah, he's a bit older than me. Can'tcha tell?" he chuckled dryly. "Got a different dad, too. Ol' mom was a… what'd ya call it, a kittypet? But her folk didn't seem to mind if she got around."

"I guess you two aren't that close, then," Frostfur pressed. She could understand why, if they were only half-siblings, and from different litters. After all, she and Ravenpaw were from different litters and had never been particularly close before now.

"Ech, well, could be closer, I guess," he grunted, staring straight ahead and not meeting her eyes. "Personality don't match much, though. He's a bit intimidatin', ain't he?"

Frostfur watched Firenze's tail swaying back and forth as he moved and nodded in agreement. The tom certainly had a dangerous air about him. Despite the help he was giving them, Frostfur still found herself on edge.

"So what 'bout you guys?" Pompei asked, taking her silence as permission to ask his own questions. "Ya said ya were forest cats, but the forest ain't lookin' too good these days!"

Frostfur felt a chill go through her that had nothing to do with the chilly weather. His question brought up memories of trees crashing down just outside of ThunderClan's camp, of the monsters crushing Sunningrocks, of her narrow escape from the Twolegs in WindClan's territory… Along with the last memory of her kits, clustered around her to say goodbye.

"The Clans are gone," she answered softly. "What's left of us are living in a barn on the other side of the forest. It's all we have left."

Pompei looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but before he could Firenze turned and launched himself expertly onto a thick wooden fence. It was set back a bit from the thunderpath, with thick bushes growing along the base. Firenze beckoned with his tail for the others to follow, then disappeared down onto the other side. Ravenpaw glanced back at Frostfur before following suit.

"I'll wait here," Pompei mewed, glancing around warily. "In case any, uh, Twolegs come by and try to chase you off."

Frostfur narrowed her eyes at him, but she didn't argue. Following Ravenpaw over the fence, she found herself in a very well-kept garden. The grass was greener here than in most of the other gardens, though most of the bushes and flowers were still dead from the intense winter. Along the walls of the nest though, Frostfur recognized the rows of thick, leafy plants growing in little white boxes.

"Catmint!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to examine it. "There's loads of it here! How has it survived the winter?"

Firenze purred in amusement. "The housefolk who live here own many cats," he explained. "They make sure to keep plenty of catmint around for them, and for any stray cats that may want it."

"Well, thank StarClan they do," Ravenpaw said. He was already nipping off clumps of it, loading up with as much as he could carry. Frostfur did the same, stretching her jaw to carry as much of the fragrant plant as she could. Hopefully this would be more than enough for Speckletail, and they could keep a store of it around just in case anyone else got sick.

Once they had all they could, Firenze led them back over the fence to where Pompei waited. The sable tom whistled at the sight of them.

"Sure ya got enough there Frosty?" he joked, nudging Frostfur with his shoulder. Frostfur scowled, but she couldn't respond with her mouth full of the precious herb.

"We will show you the quickest way back to the forest," Firenze announced, already taking off down the street again. Frostfur hurried after him with the others, desperate now to make the journey back to the barn.

Her mouth watered around the catmint, but she forced herself not to accidentally chew or swallow any more than she had to. They had to make it back with the plant mostly undamaged. Instead, she tried to focus on her surroundings. If she could memorize this route through Twolegplace, perhaps she would be able to make another trip in the future if they needed more.

They reached the edge of Twolegplace before too long. It looked much the same as where she and Ravenpaw had entered before; the earth was churned up and logs were scattered haphazardly across the ground.

"Where you entered the other day was north of here," Firenze pointed with his nose in that direction. "But this is as far as we can accompany you. I wish you safe travels." With one last nod of farewell, he turned and started back the way he had come.

Pompei lingered nervously, as if he wasn't sure whether or not to follow him. "Er, I guess I'll see ya 'round," he said awkwardly. "If you're ever back in this neck-a the woods, come find me."

Frostfur nodded, though she had no plans to ever come back to this wretched place. With any luck, she would never have to set foot in Twolegplace again. So it was likely she would never see Pompei or his brother Firenze ever again either. To her surprise, she felt a twinge of sadness at the thought. The tom was weird, that was for sure, but he had a certain charm about him.

But there was nothing to be done about it now. She waved a last goodbye to the streetcat, then turned to lead the way back to Speckletail.


End file.
